Hit the North Album

Hit The North Album CoverBefore the Graveyard Shift Mark Radcliffe and the Boy Lard had worked on Radio 5's 'Hit The North' a program which had many similarities with the Graveyard shift. Hit the North had many sessions from up and coming bands and many quality items. In around 1992 (I think) they released a double LP compilation of 4 sessions from the show some of the albums came with a free 12" single with 2 bonus tracks.

It was out on: Imaginary Records 1992 - Illusion 034


Track Listing

Sleeve Notes

Hit The North Album - Inside Picture

Hi kids and welcome to our first throbbing album with a big fist on the cover featuring the best of the Hit The North sessions.

Hit The North took to the air on Tuesday the 28th of August 1990 and quickly became a firm favourite with today's youth with the nice long hair. Only Joking. From the start we knew we had to have a live band to make up for the glaring inadequacies of the presenter, and that was even before Lardy Boy Riley shambled on the scene. Since those heady early days full of early head we've had a top cabaret turn on every show we've ever done apart the ones where we haven't which isn't many. Each week a van load of unsuspecting innocents undergo the humiliating experience of intimate strip search at the hands of the BBC's rigorous security force for the privilege of performing on the pop-pickers' fave rave show. The bands perform in a small padded cell off the legendary snooker room (pictured here with the finer points of the game being demonstrated by our gorgeous male model). The room is normally used as a recreational area for the symphony orchestra who jam next door. We're not allowed in the proper orchestral studio because apparently alcoholic breath fumes rust the harp strings. Incidentally the show is now on Wednesdays at 10.10pm on Radio 5, and I'd like to pay my personal tribute to the guys who engineer the sessions (Nicko, Smiffy, Uncle Tony and the Boy Robertshaw) coz they'll batter me if I don't. And who can blame them. So here's the first four bands and I'd like to pay my personal tribute to how great they sound coz they'll batter me if I don't. Oh, I already said that. Is that the time already? Must be off, I have supermarkets to open and pens to fill.

Hang loose (only joking).

Mark Radcliffe. Oxford Road, Manchester, March '92.

Thanks very much to Steve Roden for the pictures and information on this page.


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